Overview (4)

Mini Bio (1)

Steve Wilkos is the host of NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution's nationally syndicated series The Steve Wilkos Show.

A native of Chicago, Wilkos served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps for almost seven years before joining the Chicago Police Department. For almost 12 years, he kept the streets of Chicago's volatile 14th District (Shakespeare) safe while moonlighting during his off hours on television. Wilkos retired from the police force in 2001 and now devotes himself full time to his family and his show.

Prior to starting a show of his own, Wilkos filled in for Jerry Springer as host of the long-running The Jerry Springer Show on more than 50 episodes, using his law enforcement background and no-nonsense style to create his own identity as a talk show host.

Wilkos' many achievements over the years includes earning three Prism Award nominations for raising awareness about substance abuse issues, serving as the host of The Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards and being asked to lend his voice for a cameo on The Simpsons. Wilkos has also appeared in several TV shows and films, including the hit motion picture Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

A huge sports fan and avid golfer, Wilkos can be spotted at various professional sporting events such as baseball, basketball and football games. In his free time, he also likes watching Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Wilkos and his wife, Rachelle, who is executive producer on The Steve Wilkos Show and The Jerry Springer Show, have two children and live in Connecticut.

Spouse (1)

Trade Mark (2)

His shaved head

Fancy, short-sleeved shirts

Trivia (9)

Retired from the Chicago Police Department in January 2002

Steve made his pro wrestling debut on a Maryland Championship Wrestling card on March 27th 2002 at Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA. He teamed up with ex-WWF lightweight wrestler Gillberg to beat Dino Divine and Chad Bowman in the main event.

Personal Quotes (9)

[on his professional relationship with talk show host, Jerry Springer]: When I first started workin' for Jerry, we were doin' a show about guys telling their girlfriends that they were having an affair and they'd bring their lover out and it would be another guy. There were so many fights that day that Jerry asked me to sit up on-stage. So people were watching the episode on television and they called my parents up and said 'Steve is on TV and he's gay!'

Sometimes as a police officer, when we're arresting people, they're gonna fight back. Most of the guests on the Springer show are not gonna fight us.

[on the style of his own talk show]: Basically, it's easy for me, they're not trying to make me into a doctor or some kind of counselor. They're telling me, 'Go out there and host the show, just like you did when you were a policeman.' React and deal with it the same way - that I can do, because, even though I'm not a policeman, you still have that policeman, inside you. So, I don't coddle anybody on my show. If you're a bad guy, I'm going to get up in your face, and make you accountable for your actions, and I'm just being myself. So that makes it real easy for me.

[About his own talk show]: Basically, I was a Chicago policeman for 12 years, and mostly, people recognized me from being out of The Jerry Springer Show (1991), for 14 seasons. What we're doing with this show is basically taking the 911 calls and bring it on stage, and me dealing with that problem, just like I did, when I was a policeman.

[on why he wanted to shave his head bald]: Actually, it was after Richard Dominick's executive producer, who told me to shave my head for the show, The Jerry Springer Show (1991), and I shaved it. It really made me stand out on the Springer Show, and I think that's when people really start noticing me and the Springer Show was wild and popular, and a lot of people tuned in - 'I'm a big, tall, bald guy,' so, it lows me pretty easily.

[on a job that somehow ran in his family]: My father was a policeman for 30 years, and that's when I thought, my career was going to be, and I did it for 12 years. I never [in a million years] thought I was going to be on TV. As a policeman, you're driving the squad car around ... You don't think I'm going to end up on TV and get my own show, it just doesn't happen, it happened for me, but it's like winning the lottery, so, it's great, I love doing my own show. It's just a dream, it really is.

[When he wanted to do a talk show that is like this right-in-your-face personality]: If you're going to give me a show, you can't have me act any other way than who I am, because I'm not trained to do anything in the entertainment field. Me helping people, getting tough with the bad guys, going after the bad guy, that's what I've done my whole life, so it's a natural fit.

[Of his own talk show]: That's part of my personality, too. They're letting me be who I am. I served 6½ years on active duty, so you probably see that side of me coming out.

When people meet me, it's not like they're meeting a celebrity like Jerry Springer or Oprah Winfrey or even Dr. Phil. ... It's like they're meeting a cop they've already met.